How Authority, residents stopped yearly flooding

Chairman, Riverview Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association, Abayomi Akinde, has spoken on the collaboration between the residents and the management of Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. The collaboration, he said, stopped the yearly flooding in the area.

He said before now residents of the estate were apprehensive at the slightest sign of rain when most residents relocate to safer places.

He recalled how their estate hosted President Goodluck Jonathan and the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who came for an assessment in 2011 when there was an unguided release of water from the Oyan Dam.

Akinde said prior to the flood, the residents raised the alarm that the dams were not properly managed and that negligence, underfunding, incompetence and carelessness were the bane with lives and properties lost in the process.

He revealed that during the course of the flooding challenge they discovered that part of their problem was as a result wrong use of the dam.

He said: “We discovered that the dam was designed to generate electricity as part of its functions, and no electricity was generated since 1982, when it was built and, therefore, there was no need to keep water meant to turn the turbine for this purpose. We then asked the management of the dam to lower the operating water level from 63m to 59m, which gave us the respite we are enjoying today.”

He called for a regular release of water from the dam to guide against unmonitored water accumulation, which causes flood when it is suddenly released due to sustained rainfall.

The Riverview Estate chief praised the cooperation of the River Basin Authority, which helped to shield the estate and the state from the effects of flooding.

He noted that the synergy between his estate and Ogun Osun River Basin Authority was a good example of a good government agency/communities relationship, advising that the template should be adopted and improved upon by other flood affected communities and river basin development authorities.

He called on relevant ministries and agencies to improve on the monitoring of the River Basins and other water bodies to provide for their needs, fund and equip them.

He asked the government to install checks and balances to guide against corruption and promote government/community relationships.

Besides, Akinde stressed that studies should be improved and enhanced to prevent and predict flooding with structural and environmental devices preemptively installed, especially for communities that live very close to dams.